[MRCA] Pondering the conversion of the BC-620 radio for eithet Ham or CB use.

DSP3 jeepp at comcast.net
Thu May 31 08:07:38 EDT 2018


Maybe mentioned elsewhere but the wideband receiver will provide very 
reduced recovery of audio from a NB signal.  Usable, I guess, but not 
great, at all.  I do not know if the discriminator can be 
adjusted/aligned to compensate?

Jeep - K3HVG


On 5/30/2018 11:10 PM, WW2RDO via MRCA wrote:
> The exemptions are there, but it's a moot point anyway, since we 
> operate the BC-659 on 29.6 MHz and 29.1 MHz wide band.
>
> Mark
> WW2RDO
>
> In a message dated 5/30/2018 10:58:48 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
> timsamm at gmail.com writes:
>
>     Hi Mark - clipped from our earlier offline conversation:
>     -----------------------------------------------------------------
>     "Hi Mark - Yes, they must be modified to reduce the deviation
>     below the max audio freq for "legal" operation between 28.3 and
>     29mc;  they should be OK wideband only above 29 mc as I read Part
>     97..  But again I don't suppose anyone pays any attention to that..
>
>     I don't see anything in the current Part 97 that addresses
>     anything built before 1972 as being exempt.  Maybe I missed it. 
>     Part 97 governs only Amateur Radio...We can still build and use
>     our own gear but it still must be compliant with the Part 97 regs,
>     not aware that there any exemptions for even that.."
>
>     On Wed, May 30, 2018 at 7:38 PM, WW2RDO via MRCA
>     <mrca at mailman.qth.net <mailto:mrca at mailman.qth.net>> wrote:
>
>         Hello Tim,
>          Check on exemptions for radios made before 1972. The BC-659
>         most definitely qualifies, and is legal to operate unmodified
>         on the upper end of the 10 meter band.
>
>         Mark D.
>         WW2RDO
>
>         In a message dated 5/30/2018 7:38:36 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>         timsamm at gmail.com <mailto:timsamm at gmail.com> writes:
>
>             Hi Jim  - points well taken.  An attempt to modify a 620
>             to operate the transmitter and receiver in AM mode (and
>             illegally on CB channels) would certainly destroy the
>             relic equally badly as putting a dreaded "CB" inside.  I
>             certainly would not do that.. It would probably also not
>             work and then be relegated to visual display/scrap..  It
>             would be akin to modifying a stock M38 jeep to meet
>             today's emission and safety mandates in California... 
>             Freakinstein but not illegal.....Also, seems that few care
>             about "FCC legalities" these days..
>
>             True, you do need at least a General class to operate on
>             the 10 meters FM segment.  Also, a stock BC-659 is not
>             "legal" on 10 meters anyway unless the transmitter
>             deviation is significantly reduced..(Modulation index must
>             be < 1....)
>
>             Maybe the thing for a purist with a General class license
>             is to put a BC-659 "Infantry" radio with reduced deviation
>             into their vehicle assigned to "Armor/Art'y" and then
>             challenge anyone to prove that that was never done in
>             WWII.  Bam!  LOL Never say never....
>
>             Tim
>             N6CC
>
>             On Wed, May 30, 2018 at 2:25 PM, J Mcvey via MRCA
>             <mrca at mailman.qth.net <mailto:mrca at mailman.qth.net>> wrote:
>
>
>                 The easy solution is to use radios that are in the Ham
>                 bands, and get a general ham license, which is pretty
>                 easy to get.
>
>                 The BC659 FM is legal on the upper end of the 10 meter
>                 band . 29.6 Mhz is the FM simplex calling frequency.
>
>                 The thought of hacking up a decent WWII relic to put a
>                 CB inside makes me cringe...
>
>                 The original radios (BC620,659) that will work in the
>                 11 meter CB band are FM modulated which is not allowed
>                 there.
>                 CB is AM/SSB only.
>                 Then again, who follows the rules on CB?
>
>                 On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, 1:47:22 PM EDT, Robert
>                 Nickels <ranickel at comcast.net
>                 <mailto:ranickel at comcast.net>> wrote:
>
>
>                 An old time Chicago ham told me an interesting story
>                 about the BC-603
>                 which is the receiver component of the SCR-508 that
>                 tuned from 20-28 Mhz
>                 - FM of course. The important feature to him was that
>                 it used a
>                 pushbutton-controlled local oscillator rather than
>                 crystals for the
>                 channel frequency.    He'd just finished high school
>                 in the Chicago area
>                 where Motorola was located, and thanks to their
>                 influence, the local
>                 police were among the first to abandon medium wave AM
>                 for the newfangled
>                 VHF FM band, leaving many frustrated police-radio
>                 listeners behind.
>
>                 This fellow saw opportunity and purchased custom
>                 converters from
>                 Vanguard Electronics in Hollis NY to bring the new
>                 police frequencies
>                 down to the range of the BC-603. Then it was just a
>                 matter of setting
>                 the needed frequencies into the pushbuttons and wiring
>                 everything up.
>                 The BC-603 "tank radio" was plentiful and cheap at
>                 local surplus stores
>                 because most hams had little use for them,  but that
>                 it could run from
>                 12 volts and had squelch made it nearly ideal for his
>                 needs.    He says
>                 he had no problem selling enough of these "mobile
>                 police receivers" to
>                 pay for college.
>
>                 73, Bob W9RAN
>
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